Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - Week 10 of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded with two great events at The Stadium, the grass field venue at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, notched another big win this circuit by taking the top prize in the $78,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix, CSI 2*. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival's feature event, the $500,000 FTI...

Augusta, KS Meet Jjs Summer Breeze, who holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for horse with the longest tail. Editor Stephanie Doyle “interviewed” Summer (via her owner, Crystal Socha). Summer is a registered American Paint Horse and also is registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America. Just how long is your tail? Currently my tail is 13’6” long. When it was officially measured for the Guinness Book it was 12’6”. What’s your favorite thing about your tail? My favorite thing...

Richard Spooner and Lady Like. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - It was a fun night of competition with a highlight event, the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Races, at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Advancing through five rounds of races, it was Richard Spooner (USA) and Lady Like, owned by the C&S Partnership LLC who finished as the winners. In the final round, they topped Daniela Cordero of the Dominican Republic and T Cavalier. The FTI WEF's tenth week of competition, sponsored by...

Sweden’s Stefan Jansson in the clinic arena. (Photo courtesy of JRPR) Wellington, FL – Dressage trainer and rider Stefan Jansson spent his first trip to Florida mentoring Lusitano horses and their riders during a clinic at Carlene Blunt’s Country Club Stables in Boynton Beach, FL. Sponsored by Interagro Lusitanos, the clinic came on the heels of The Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction, and was a fantastic learning experience for dressage riders who compete and train on Lusitanos....

Gary Lane and Olivier. (Photo by JRPR. ) Wellington, FL – Thanks to a nice top line, a great swing and a beautiful muscular build, Olivier, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood ridden by Gary Lane, rode away with The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award during the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge II CDI. Sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, the award is presented to a horse with a successful performance during the show due to their fitness level. Lane, of Country...

A competitor on course in the Purina Mills Horseless Horseshow. (Photo by Sarah Owen.) Ocala, FL - The annual Purina Mills Weekend, which featured exciting classes, a $50,000 Purina Mills-sponsored Grand Prix, and a series of special events, wrapped up the fifth week of AA-rated competition at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. Another round of beautiful weather provided picture-perfect conditions, and exhibitors were out in force to take advantage of an action-packed schedule, with several key...

Andre Thieme and Uvalier. (ESI Photography©.) Ocala, FL - It seems the luck of the Irish was with German High-Performance rider Andre Thieme yesterday when he piloted his own Uvalier to a blazingly fast finish in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. The win marks his third of the season and the second in five days for Thieme who, just last Sunday, rode Seth Vallhonrat's Coco 135 to an exciting victory in the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer...

McLain Ward and Rothchild. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - McLain Ward (USA) took the win today in the $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic with Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms. The class was the feature event on Friday at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, which is in its tenth week of competition. The G&C Farm 1.45m Classic is part of an initiative to increase FEI ROLEX ranking classes at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Thanks to the support of G&C Farm, owned by Gustavo...

Elizabeth Benson and San Remo VDL. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - The 4th Annual George Morris Excellence in Equitation Championships, presented by Artisan Farms, were held on Friday evening in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. A feature event for the junior riders at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, the class saw an exciting win for 16-year-old Elizabeth Benson of Whitehouse Station, NJ, trained by Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill Show Stables....

Chesterfield, SC - If ever there was a place that shouts “Long Live the Long Format,” Southern Eighths is that place and on April 28-May 1 Classic Eventing will host its inaugural Heart of the Carolinas (HOTC) Three-Day Event on this 300-acre facility. This Long Format Three-Day Event is the amateur rider’s “Rolex.” It’s the event where Beginner Novice, Novice and Training level riders can negotiate their ultimate Long Format test in a USEA recognized T3D, N3D and BN3D event. And what makes...